"Finally, I've made it this far!"
After the fifth chain was unlocked, the Caged Bird no longer posed a threat to her life. It was merely a debuff.
If someone from the Main Family cast the spell on Hyuga Ao now, even if they pushed the technique to its limit, Hyuga Ao would only feel pain. She would not die.
Moreover, it was pain she could endure. Unlike the other branch families, who could do nothing but roll on the ground in agony as soon as the technique was activated, she would still be able to resist.
"Things are looking up!"
With a smile on her lips, Hyuga Ao wore a calm, comfortable, and relaxed expression. Moving the mountain that was the Caged Bird was only a matter of time.
After checking the sky and finding that it was still early, Hyuga Ao prepared breakfast and waited for everyone to wake up before heading out for their New Year's first shrine visit.
Hatsumōde was the first shrine or temple visit of the new year, where people prayed for peace and safety.
There were no large temples around Konoha, so people generally went to shrines instead.
After hastily finishing breakfast, Hyuga Ao and the others headed to the Senju Shrine to pay their respects.
Ever since the Senju had disbanded, the Senju Shrine had been taken over by the village, which managed and maintained it.
At the same time, the Senju Shrine had been opened to the public and became a shrine frequently visited by Konoha's residents.
The Senju Shrine stood on the Senju Clan's former grounds, on the opposite side of the Naka River, facing the Uchiha Shrine from afar.
When they arrived at the shrine, Hyuga Ao found that the people who had arrived first were indeed mostly ninjas.